It was a bustling summer day in Domino City. Adults quickly darted through nearby stores as young teenagers chattered away about their summer schedules that ended in a week. The afternoon day sun decorated the sidewalk with vibrant tree shades dancing along the cement.
Cars and buses filled with passengers darted by on streets, rushing to get back to work from their lunch breaks. Amongst this crowd was none other than Seto Kaiba. He sat in the back of his limo, talking on his cell phone with one of his executives about the upcoming meeting he was having in the next fifteen minutes. An unreadable expression rested on his features as his chauffeur continued down the street, turning and stopping at every point smoothly. Interruptions of any kind made while Kaiba was on the phone -even minor incidents such as a ball hitting the windshield- usually resulted in a termination of employment.
As soon as Kaiba disconnected the line to end the briefing, the limo had arrived at Kaiba Corporation. The chauffeur opened the door for Kaiba and awaited any commands that his employer would give him. When only silence greeted him, he quickly closed the door and headed over to pick the youngest Kaiba from his summer classes at Domino Middle School, now that the young Kaiba was thirteen and a very becoming seventh grader.
Kaiba walked into the cool building of KaibaCorp. with confident strides. The sound of his shoes hitting against the tile floor reverberated off the walls and to the ears of the receptionist at the front desk. She stood up and greeted him with a bow, receiving only a silent nod from him before he entered the elevator that lead directly to his office. A minute or two later, the doors opened and Kaiba stepped out and waited for his secretary to inform him of any updates. Right on cue, the middle-aged secretary stood and gave him her usual greeting before saying that his 2:30 appointment was waiting for him in his office. He grunted again in response as he opened the doors to his office. His desk was seated at the far end of the room against the floor length window. In front of his desk were two chairs that comforted men of an important company in which he would be discussing business with today. They appeared to have been talking with each other before he had arrived, but immediately ceased their banter and stood to greet him. They reached their hands to shake his and he followed suit. He grinned slightly, knowing that the deal would go well. As soon as he took his seat behind his desk the meeting commenced. Five minutes into their proposition and he could already tell that this would be a long meeting. A good one, but a long one nonetheless.
Anzu watched as Kaiba exited the limo and entered the building to begin the meeting through her satellite sunglasses. Once she was sure everything proceeded normally, she terminated the connection by folding them and sticking them in her pocket. The glasses only reacted when she was wearing them and the eye scan matched positive between the micro-AI chip and the iris of the owner; even if any other person wore them, the satellite connection would not be activated. She had two: her "Blue Eyes" for Kaiba and her "Wooden Horses" for Mokuba, which was what she was switching to now. She had been waiting outside his school in the distance, not wanting anyone to notice her. She stood under the shade of a tall maple tree, which was planted out of place in front of Domino Middle School.
She looked down at her digital watch. Everyday it kept track of the time in which the limo would come to pick Mokuba up. It took exactly ten minutes to get from the KaibaCorp building to the middle school. If the limo were even one minute late Anzu would have a fit. Not necessarily because she would be upset, but because the KCSP would jump down her throat about it.
The KCSP -or the "organization" as Anzu preferred to call it- was a secret police agency that was initially formed by the original president of KaibaCorp, Gozaburo Kaiba. The organization was created to provide top notch security for the family of the current CEO of KaibaCorp under strictest codes of classification. Even after the death of Gozaburo Kaiba the KCSP continued to operate under the ignorance of the current CEO; thus making the Organization the most secretive operation in the world. In Anzu's opinion anyway.
She joined the organization the summer before she entered high school. In the beginning, she had a hard time trying to adapt to the specifics of being a KCSP agent, but she managed. After three years of intensive training in ballistics, forensics, defense and military expertise, it was inevitable that she would. She wanted desperately to change their regulations, but every suggestion she made was immediately dismissed with "This organization has been operating under the same rules since Gozaburo's reign in KaibaCorp. Any change in our policies now would change our morals and beliefs in which we were created to defend. Your 'suggestions' are out of the question." Or something to that effect.
She sighed. No one could say that she didn't try and she hasn't stopped trying. Slowly, yet surely, she would get the executives of this organization to change their stubborn ways. Until then, her focus was to guard Kaiba until the perpetrators trying to resurrect Gozaburo and The Big Five from their virtual prison were caught.
After the tragic adventure in Noa's virtual reality during the Battle City finals, the KCSP rushed to the scene of the explosion to make sure that everything regarding the virtual reality was nothing more than a bad dream for those who experienced it. The job was thorough to the point that there was not even a spec of dust left above the surface. After that, the case was closed.
Until rumors started to spread throughout the organization that someone was trying resurrect the group. An investigation was immediately underway to find who was a part of the radical upset. That was about seven months ago, in January. Since then, the chairmen of KCSP turned up the heat on security regarding the Kaiba brothers. All operatives were pushed to their limits and beyond, keeping surveillance on the two twenty-four seven. Some were even summoned to HQ in order to maximize their efficiency, where their diets and exercise consisted solely of Kaiba. As such, Anzu's already Kaiba-filled schedule was over stuffed. Any more full and she was convinced she would turn into a Kaiba herself.
Just then the sound of a smooth car drove up to the front of the gate of the school, bringing Anzu back from her wandering thoughts. She stood attentively as she watched a thirteen-year-old young boy step out of the gate, his hands thrust in his pockets and his briefcase tucked under his left arm, resembling MUCH of his elder brother. Anzu chuckled. She had watched the young boy grow up from afar for going on three years now. He began looking more and more like his brother everyday, even his attitude was almost just as arrogant at times, but deep down he was still the same old Mokuba. The same Mokuba she helped escape from the rare hunters; the same Mokuba that had been ready to battle her best friend during Duelist Kingdom to help his brother. He might change on the outside, but he would always stay the same on the inside.
She watched as he stepped into the opened limo door, thanking the chauffeur automatically before it closed and drove away. Here, Anzu walked over to a heap of leaves that had a strange crease to them in the middle before touching the air that was about a good three and a half feet above the ground. An electronic gleam traveled down the invisible object that her hand rested on, revealing the shape of a bicycle before the color and detail were added in. She threw up the kickstand with her foot before sitting on the seat and began riding off in the direction of the limo. She didn't have to see the limo in order to follow it. She learned the route to the Kaiba Mansion during her first six months. She could close her eyes and ride there unharmed -a game which she sometimes plays to spice things up a bit, even if it earned her a scolding from her mother. She sighed, her assignment in this organization certainly came with its perks; the invisible bike, the watch, the microchips, the sunglasses -which, how many teenagers were able to say they had access to the latest in government quality gadgets on a daily basis?- but she was not able to enjoy them for her own personal use. So she did what she could without getting in trouble by her mother or HQ.
She turned a corner and spotted the limo again before it disappeared around another turn. As she followed the car while it was out of her sight, she watched Mokuba through her sleek sunglasses. He laid on the seat of the limo, stretching and yawning every now and then, occasionally tossing and turning in an attempt to take a nap before they arrived at the mansion and start on his homework. She smiled to herself in amusement; He's just as lazy as ever I see.
As perfectly timed, according to Anzu's watch anyway, they arrived at the mansion. The limo stopped and waited for the gates to open before continuing on up the incredibly long driveway that rounded itself around a fountain in the front of the house. She parked her bike under the shade of the trees that lined the walls of the gate surrounding the perimeter of the estate. Although she was ordered to babysit the Kaiba brothers, she was under explicit instructions to refrain from setting foot on the grounds.
All members of the KCSP are prohibited to enter the Kaiba estate, unless under executive order.
She violated that rule once before, when she took a part-time job working at the Death-T amusement park Kaiba created in order to get his revenge on Yuugi for defeating him in a Duel Monsters game. Not only was she absolutely terrified from the horrible "attractions" Kaiba managed to concoct in his devious brain, she was also all but tortured by the KCSP Reapers -operatives specifically trained in the art of severe discipline and (if necessary) execution.
She clenched her fists and decided to push those thoughts away. She would continue to anger herself if she allowed those thoughts to take control of her, so instead she watched Mokuba. So far he was doing the same thing he did in the car and was completely ignoring his homework. She laughed lightly, the boy really was becoming lazy. What he needed was some encouragement to stay on top of his priorities. In her opinion, the elder Kaiba needed to re-evaluate his priority list, and make sure his younger brother was getting the care he needed, both emotionally and mentally.
Not that her opinion mattered to anyone though.
Again she sighed. "Oh well. Might as well get started on my own homework if I plan on graduatingthis year."
Good thing she commenced her "stalker" routine right after school so she still had everything she needed with usually plenty of time to get everything done. Her assignment lasted as long as Kaiba's schedule was busy; sometimes even lingering long into the night.
She remembered the time when he came home past three in the morning every night for weeks in preparation for the launch of the duel disk and the event that became Battle City. The numbers at the end of the tournament were astounding, but Anzu firmly believed that it wasn't worth losing so many hours of sleep. She went to school each day feeling absolutely exhausted and wondering if she would see him. Sure enough he was there, albeit he was more withdrawn than usual, if that was at all possible. He seemed to be dozing in class, but no one else noticed except for her.
Over the course of her surveillance of Kaiba, she noticed that she was more aware of his human characteristicsthan anyone else-at least in the school. She knew when he was tired and all possible reasons why he would be on edge. She'd never admit it to anyone else -and could barely admit it to herself- but she worried about Kaiba. While she couldn't stand his high and mighty arrogant attitude, his vendetta against her best friends, or his obsessions with power and victory, she found the small place in her heart that was concerned for his health. Sure he was young now, but he wouldn't be able to keep up that schedule forever. Even he will burn out, and the only person who would be there for him was Mokuba.
About fifteen minutes later she finished her homework and began concentrating on other related thoughts. The homework itself was not hard, it was just annoying. Sometimes she wished summer break didn't fall in during the first semester of school and was actually a break, like in the States.
She stretched and yawned after putting her homework away in her school backpack and leaned up against the tree she lay under. Through her glasses she watched as Mokuba was now up and watching television, from what she could tell it was the news; something about an escaped killer on the loose looking for targets. She rolled her eyes and assumed that he had no intention of doing his homework. She frowned a little, he was never going to get anywhere if he put off his responsibilities; and Kaiba wasn't the type to reward lethargy. She knew Mokuba was capable of straight A's. If anyone could pull of grades higher than A's then Mokuba was absolutely the one. She had never seen such a clever little boy before! Well, there was Kaiba, but he wasn't exactly little now. She thought it over, maybe she should informthe KCSP executives that Mokuba needed a tutor. After all, he is the next one in line to take over KaibaCorp. after his brother retires.
She laughed out loud to herself at this. "Kaiba? Retire? Yeah, right! He'd sooner marry, have kids, then die of old age." She couldn't keep the condescension out of her voice. The thought of Kaiba retiring was -incredulous. Could one really see that man with grey hair, wrinkles, and a warm smile on his face standing outside of his mansion with his arm draped around his wife? This had Anzu rolling in the lawn. The idea was just so out of character!
Once she calmed down, she sat back and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She looked at her watch, it was about 5:30 PM. Time sure does fly by quickly when you're deep in thought. She sighed; time to check up on Kaiba-boy. She switched her "Wooden Horses" for her "Blue Eyes" and watched Kaiba stand up and reach over the desk to shake hands with the executives, closing the deal. Judging from the partially relaxed look on his face, Anzu deduced that the meeting went well, but he also looked tired. The meeting must have ended sooner than he had expected. However, a three hour meeting isn't exactly soothing for one's nerves either.
She watched as the two men left the office and Kaiba fall backwards into his leather chair, his thumb and middle finger massaging his temples. He looked exhausted and it looked like the beginnings of a headache were presenting themselves. She predicted his next move in one thought: He'll open the top left drawer of his desk for that bottle of aspirin, take two pills, swallow them dry, then take out his laptop and start checking on the company's stocks before turning it off and heading out of the building.
Word for word her prediction came true. If there was one thing that Anzu took notice of immediately was that Seto Kaiba was a man of habit and routine. Especially when it came to his job and school attendance. His main goal was just to show up, he didn't have to go to school to get a degree. She later found out that it was his brother who encouraged him to mingle with others his age. His argument being that if his older brother could not associate with those of his age group, how could the business world expect to respect a teenager? Even though she knew Kaiba would love nothing more than to graduate high school through online courses, he conceded tohis younger brother's wishes and went to school.
Of course, that didn't mean that he actually had to converse with people, in which most cases he went out his way to avoid such interactions. Except for the occasional insults he threw at her and her friends -mainly Jounouchi. At first she faulted Kaiba for doing so, but now she reasoned that insulting "the mutt" was astress reliever for him. Not that she condoned his actions, since that is what usually ignited her arguments that she engaged in with him. However, she noticed over a period of time that after their verbal bouts, the tension in his shoulders dissipated and the tense look in his eyes softened slightly. She figured that it was because being around timid employees and air-headed classmates all day bored him. At least when he argued with her he actually had to come up with intelligent remarks to hit her with, just as she had to do with him. They were verbal sparring partners, and some pretty good ones too.
Shaking the thoughts away from her mind, Anzu resumed focus back onto her target, watching as he exited the building and into hisever punctual limo. Looking at her watch she saw that the time was now 6:00 PM. So, he's coming home earlier today… that's good. She smiled, standing up to prepare her bike after putting her backpack on as she watched him travel safely within the confines of his limo. It took about another fifteen minutes to get from the KaibaCorp. office to the mansion, so she sat on her bike and waited for the gates to open. She sat erect and began fidgeting with anticipation at the prospect of going home early. Since the end of her adventures with duel monsters, ancient Egypt, and the Shadow Realm, her assignment had become downright boring. That's another reason why she brought her homework with her, to give her something to do. Heck, when she got too bored she actually taught herself the next lesson in the upcoming chapters, just so she could be ahead of the game in class. Of course, she would much rather be spending time with her friends, but ever since security was ramped up she hadn't had the time to spend with them. They began asking her why she was so busy one day, but because she couldn't give them a straight answer she had to brush them off quickly.
"Oh, well, something happened at home and... it's making me real busy after school. We probably won't be able to hang out for awhile, okay? Sorry, but I have to go now!"
She told them that back in February, and ever since then she's remained true to her word. She hadn't been able to spend time with them... at all. She could tell that they were increasingly worried about her, and even her other classmates began noticing this. She knew Kaiba had noticed too because he made a smart-aleck remark about it the other day.
"Well, well, well Mazaki. I suppose I 'owe' you a congratulations." He walked up to her while she was taking out her street shoes from her locker and replacing them with her school shoes, a smirk on his face.
"Oh?" She didn't look at him, she already knew what his face looked like at that moment. "And why would the great Seto Kaiba want to do that?"
"You've finally wised up I see. You are no longer wasting your time on those incompetent idiots you call 'friends'." His voice was cold and teasing. "I really feel like I must reward you. It must have been hard trying to separate yourself from them considering all the friendship speeches you've given in the past. I must say, you really stepped up closer to my level. I'm, I guess I should say 'impressed'." He gave a mock applause.
Anzu just listened to him, not really in the mood to argue with him. "Why, thank you Kaiba." He raised an eyebrow, that was not quite the response he was expecting. She closed her shoe locker with a good slam and looked up at him, her eyes expressionless. "I'd say that I'm glad to know that you now don't think of me as being on the bottom of the school's social ladder but at the moment, I couldn't care any less than what I already do. I'm feeling emotionally drained right now... Although I wouldn't expect you, of all people, to understand what that is like."
Kaiba's smirk remained plastered on his face. "Of course not. Emotions are baggage, and a waste of my energy."
Anzu smirked emotionlessly, something she was becoming quite accustomed to, "Of course. Such a typical response coming from you." She watched in amusement as his smirk slowly diminished to a frown. "You know, I knew you were a man of routine, but I didn't really expect you to be predictable."
"Predictable?" He repeated, "Honestly Mazaki, if you're trying to insult me, you're going to have to try harder than that."
"I didn't realize I was insulting you. I was merely making an observation. But if I did insult you, then please, forgive me." She said sarcastically. "I didn't realize you were so sensitive. Maybe you do have emotions, after all."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Mock me all you want Mazaki. People like you won't get under my skin."
"Oh no, I would never try to do something like that. It's far too difficult to puncture dragonhide. I'm sure you would know that best, being the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian high priest and all." She watched as his scowl sank deeper into his features before looking down at her watch. "Well look at the time. It's time I headed home." She walked past him as he scowled at her. "You know," she paused a couple strides just beyond him, "I do hope I am mistaken about your 'predictability'. If that's the case, then you'll never beat Yuugi."
Kaiba's eyes tensed with anger as he turned to snap at her, but was caught off guard to find her gone. He looked around himself, wondering where she went, but scoffed and recomposed his icy demeanor before heading out of the locker room.
Ever since that day, she's watched Kaiba rebuild and reorganize his deck about fifty times, battling himself over and over again in his simulations to test each deck. She even saw him notate how many times he used a particular strategy, as if testing himself for any patterns of predictability. She laughed at this, knowing that he would never admit it, but that day she did manage to get under his skin.
She watched the gates to the estate open again for the second time that afternoon as the limo carrying Kaiba into the grounds. She smiled as she watched his closed eyes flutter open as he felt the car come to a complete stop. He didn't move until the car door was opened for him. He was tired, she could tell, but she knew he wouldn't stop working. She knew that once he got inside his brother would jump on him as usual, greeting him before he stalked up the stairs to his office and sat down at his desk and obsess over his deck once again. Once she was sure he was safe and sound inside his home and everything was clocked in as normal on her watch, she peddled away.
Kaiba marched diligently into his mansion, not bothering to respond to his maid who welcomed him back home and headed straight for the stairs. He was halfway up the stairs before he heard the sound of the television in the far room behind the staircase. He figured it was Mokuba lounging about in one of the drawing rooms, but he decided to leave Mokuba to his musings for the time being. He didn't want to disturb his brother, though he did need to remind him to finish his homework.
Instead of walking straight to his room he walked into his home office. This office wasn't as large as the one at his headquarters, but the layout was the same with one leather lounge and two bookcases lining the walls near the entrance. He placed his briefcase down on the lounge and headed over to his resting laptop. He unlocked the screen and proceeded to review his schedule for the following day, making any notes he needed for each appointment as necessary, and read his emails. He noticed he received a few from Domino Middle School and frowned at what he read when opened them. He sighed before straightening up and headed out the door of his office and down the stairs to the drawing room behind the stairs where his brother was currently lounging on the couch.
His eyes landed on his brother who was currently lounging on the sofa with a gaming controller in his hands, eyes focused languidly on the screen. Kaiba entered the room and stood waiting to get his brother's attention. As the minutes ticked by with no acknowledgement from the ravenette, Kaiba cleared his throat with resounding authority, catching his brother off guard. "Gosh, Seto! You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days!"
Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. "I doubt clearing my throat to get your attention will incite cardiac arrest in a teenager, Mokuba."
Mokuba rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."
"Indeed." Kaiba responded sharply. "How's your homework coming along?"
Mokuba averted his gaze from his brother back to the screen. "It's coming."
Kaiba folded his arms as he rested against the wall of the drawing room. "Is it now? And how are your grades?"
Seconds passed with only the sound of the clicking controller before he responded with, "Acceptable."
He narrowed his eyes at his brother's curt responses. "And your attendance at school?"
Mokuba couldn't help but smirk a little as he responded with, "Mind-numbing."
Kaiba growled, "Really? So is that why I'm getting these emails from your instructor's about getting into fights as of late?"
Mokuba's complexion paled and Kaiba noticed. "So then, it's true. You started a fight today?"
"I didn't start it!" Mokuba cried defensively, the game completely forgotten. "It was just an argument that went south; they were the ones who started it all!"
"An argument? And what exactly was this argument about that caused you to throw the first punch?" Kaiba asked, the displeasure evident in his tone.
Mokuba broke eye contact with his brother again, clearly not wanting to respond.
"What was your reasoning, Mokuba? I clearly expect more from you than this, so what in the world caused you to start that fight." He demanded.
"I just told you I didn't start the fight!" He yelled.
"Don't raise your voice at me, Mokuba. I won't tolerate anymore disrespect from you today."
"Disrespect?" He repeated. "Really? You accuse me of that when you're not even trying to hear me out."
"You haven't told me a single thing; how can I hear you out when you're not even being honest?"
Mokuba frowned. "How can I be honest with you when all you're going to do is ground me in the end, anyway?"
This caught Kaiba a little off guard. "I am the one who judges the appropriate consequences, Mokuba. Not you. Don't assume what the outcome will be until you've tested the waters."
Mokuba's eyes stung with angry tears. "This isn't an experiment. It always ends the same way. I get in trouble at school, you ground me, lather, rinse, repeat." He threw the controller onto the couch and stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So how long will it be this time?"
Kaiba growled at his brother in frustration. "Since you're so determined to get yourself grounded, how about you enjoy the rest of your school year stuck in the mansion with no access to electronics or the internet?"
Mokuba winced, but shrugged instead of arguing back. "Fine." He walked passed his brother up towards the stairs. "It was about you," he said on his way out. "Some idiot insulted you and got others involved. The only reason why I threw the first punch was because they surrounded me."
Kaiba sighed, "You don't need to defend me, Mokuba. I don't care what other people think of me."
Mokuba clenched his fists in his pants, "Maybe not, but I did." With that, he made his way up to his room and slammed the door closed.
Kaiba waited a few moments before heading back up to his office. What was he going to do about that kid. He knew his brother was as straight as an arrow normally, but lately he had been very aggressive in school and downright rebellious at home. Was it not enough that he had a company to run? Now he has a teenager to raise? He massaged his temples irritatedly.
He'll have to talk to Mokuba later about his behavior. He loved the kid, but he just could not deal with attitude at a this crucial point in his fiscal year. He was on the verge of launching a new product, which required much of his time and attention. His brother's angst was just going to have to wait.
People shopped and relaxed along the crossroads of Domino City; many of those being high school students in their summer uniforms. Amongst these students were two, rather tall students accompanying a short young man with unnaturally tall, spiky hair. They conversed amongst themselves talking about school, homework, home life, games and the like. The current topic of discussion was the inevitable graduation coming up in seven months.
"I cannot believe we're approaching the end of our school year… heck, our school life!" exclaimed the tall blonde at the small round table they were eating on. "I mean, what are we gonna do for the rest of our lives?"
A light-hearted laugh came from across the table, "Got something on your mind Jounouchi?" asked Yuugi.
"Sounds like he's nervous," replied a pencil headed brunette, otherwise more commonly known as Honda amongst the three. "He probably doesn't have any plan for what to do next in his life," he said, taking a sip of his soda.
Jounouchi scowled at his long time partner-in-crime. "Honda, if you're not more careful, I'm gonna shove that straw right up your nose."
"Temper, temper," teased a smirking Honda, an instigating glint in his eyes.
Jounouchi jumped to his feet ready to attack, "Honda!"
"Now, now Jounouchi," Yuugi jumped in, unnecessarily trying to play peacemaker between the two knuckleheads. "Let's not get start a scene. I'd rather not get kicked out of this restaurant too," he begged.
Jounouchi cast one more glance at Honda, promising to finish the argument later, before sighing and sitting back down. "Tch, whatever."
Heaving a sigh of relief, Yuugi sat back down in his seat as well. "Thank you. Anyway, you're not the only one whose nerves are on edge."
Putting crossing his feet on the table, Jounouchi leaned his chair back with his hands behind his head. "Yeah? And who else feels like I do?"
"Me," replied the short blonde, with a wry smile.
This nearly made Jounouchi fall out of his seat and Honda squirt soda out of his nose. "What!"
"What?" asked Yuugi, honestly confused.
"What do you mean 'what'?" Asked Honda. "Aren't you planning on working at the game shop with Jii-chan?"
"Or going on to college?" Jounouchi asked in rapid fire.
With slight unease, Yuugi responded, "I can't decide between the two, whether I want to continue helping Jii-chan out with the shop or go to college to pursue business. Either way, it leads down the same road I guess. I'll be taking over the shop eventually anyway."
The incredulous looks on both tall teens disintegrated to an expression that was reminiscent of boredom as they slumped back in their chairs with a groan. Yuugi noticed this and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Yuugi…" responded Honda with a sigh, "we thought you meant that you were stuck, like us. Not confused with options."
Yuugi was confused, "What do you mean?"
Jounouchi perked up, "As in, you have an option Yuugi. We –Honda and I– don't. Even if we wanted to go to college we have to look for jobs."
Yuugi frowned at the remark. "Oh come now Jounouchi. I'm sure you're just exaggerating. If you want to go to college you can find a way."
Jounouchi smirked, "Sure. If by some miracle I fall into a pile of cash bigger than me, I might be able to pay for one semester for one class before I have to pay bills." He sighed, feeling defeated.
Yuugi scowled at his remark. "You're exaggerating Jounouchi."
However, Honda shook his head. "No, he's right Yuug…. Think about it. You know our track history. We're not A students. Or even B students. And to top it off, we were lucky to get into high school, and even then it's because our parents sacrificed what they could to afford it for us."
Yuugi couldn't believe what he was hearing from his two friends. These were the guys that refused to give up on him during his weakest moments, and here they were throwing in the towel about their futures! Slamming his hands on the table with a mighty thud, he jumped onto his feet, "I don't believe you guys!" The outburst from their short friend caught them off guard. "Of all the things we've been through together and all the times we thought we would hit the end of our road you never gave up! And now you're throwing in the towel?"
Jounouchi and Honda gaped at him. "What do you expect, Yuugi?" asked Honda, regaining his motor skills. "It's not like we have many opportunities available to us."
"You know we're not ones to throw in the towel unless we had to Yuugi," replied Jonouchi. "But remember, you have the family and foundation that can provide you with the means to pursue your future." Jonouchi slouched in his chair, his head resting on the table as he mumbled disheartedly, "Our future ends with graduation."
Passion burned in Yuugi's eyes as he exclaimed, "NO IT DOES NOT!" Once again, he caught Honda and Jounouchi off guard. "Don't you dare give up on your futures! We're only eighteen years old, and you're just going to say your future is decided for you? Haven't you learned anything from our adventures together?" Yuugi's eyes pierced theirs. "I believe in destiny, but there are times in which you need to take matters into your own hands."
Jounouchi smirked at that, "You sound like money-bags." Honda, too, found himself smiling at that.
Yuugi merely straightened to stand tall and folded his arms. "Well, it's not like he'd be wrong now." Yuugi gave the coldest glare he could muster, but it only succeeded in making him look out of place and feeling awkward. Soon, all three of them started to snicker before it built up into a laughing fit.
"Nice try Yuugi, but Kaiba's glare just doesn't suit you!" croaked out Honda, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
"Yeah Yuug!" Jounouchi snorted, "You're too nice to act anything like money-bags."
Yuugi reigned in his laughter as he sat back down in his chair. "Yeah, you're probably right. But I am serious, guys." Trying to reel the conversation back on topic, Yuugi continued, "You're both two of the most determined people I know in this world. And I know, for sure, that both of you will be able to attain whatever you guys what to do." He gave a reassuring smile, "I'll even help you in anyway I possibly can, and I'm sure Jii-chan will too!"
Jounouchi and Honda looked at him, eyes widened with hope. "Really? How?" asked Honda.
Yuugi thought for a moment, before responding back. "I know! How about you guys moving in with us, and helping out with the Game Shop?"
"What?!" Honda and Jounouchi both jumped, startled by such an offer. "You really mean it Yuug?" asked Jounouchi.
Yuugi gave a vigorous nod. "Of course! Since school will be out in less than a year and everyone will be starting summer jobs and having the extra cash to spend, we'll definitely need help at the shop. Jii-chan isn't getting any younger either and I'll be busy with preparing for college entrance exams, so we could both use the assistance. I'll talk to Jii-chan about it, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind. We have an extra room so, if you guys don't mind sharing a room for the time being, it should work out just fine!"
Honda and Jounouchi were silent for a moment, taking in the reality of the offer. "Are you sure Yuugi?" asked Jounouchi.
"We wouldn't want to impose on you, little buddy." replied Honda.
Yuugi merely rolled his eyes. Proud as ever I see, he thought in response. "Guys, would I offer if you would really be imposing? Look, Jii-chan needs the help. If you guys move in, then I can focus on going to college to pursue my education while you help out around the Game Shop. Working there would most likely pay for the room and board, so you'll be able to set your paychecks aside and save up to pursue your education when you're ready. Plus, once I'm gone to live on campus, there'll be an extra room available for either one of you to stay in." Yuugi smiled at the end of his explanation. "You'd actually be really helping us out too, if you decide to accept it that is."
Jounouchi and Honda whooped in excitement. "Would we ever!" They exclaimed together.
"We won't let you down Yuugi!" Jounouchi patted Yuugi's back a little too enthusiastically.
Yuugi coughed, a little startled at the sudden impact. "Yeah…" He said hoarsely, "No problem." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Remember, I have to ask Jii-chan first, but I'm sure he won't say no."
Honda and Jounouchi took their seats again, a hefty weight now floating freely off their shoulders for the time being. "Thanks Yuug! We really appreciate this!" exclaimed Honda. "We can always count on you to have our backs Yuugi. We owe you one for this!"
Yuugi shook his head, "It's my pleasure guys. After all, we're best friends, and friends look out for each other." Yuugi winked joyfully..
"Yeah. Speaking of friends," Jounouchi leaned back in his chair again, kicking his feet up on to the table, "Have either one of you seen Anzu around lately?" The sudden, solemn silence was his uneasy answer. "Not you guys either, huh?" He stated with a sigh.
"What's up with her, anyway, huh?" Asked Honda, also kicking back in his chair. "I mean, I know she's always been busy, since the beginning of high school, but this is just ridiculous! It's like she just disappears right after school!"
Yuugi tried to lighten the mood again, "Aw come one guys. She's probably working another after school job and she's keeping it on the down low again. I'm sure she's just fine!"
Jounouchi glanced over at him. "Yeah but… c'mon Yuug! You can't tell me you're not even just a little worried about her!"
Yuugi sighed as his eyes fell to his lap, "Yeah, I guess I am a little…" he said quietly. The silence that greeted his response caused him to look up, only to be greeted by two mischievous expressions coming from his friends. "W-what's with the looks?"
"Oh nothing!" cried Honda, looking away smugly.
"Nothing at all!" repeated Jounouchi, also looking away just as smugly as his partner in crime. "Just that your face is screaming 'I love Anzu!'"
Yuugi's face flushed immediately, turning from a calm peach to a furious tomato. "W-what are you talking about?! I've never said that!" He cried defensively.
"Oh Yuugi, Yuugi, Yuugi." Honda shook his head. "You don't have to say anything! Again, it's written all over your face," he emphasized each word as his smirk grew in size with Jounouchi.
"You can't hide it from us Yuug!" gloated Jounouchi. "In fact, I'm sure the whole school knows!" He teased the poor duelist insolently.
Yuugi's dejected reaction to Jounouchi's claim was a horrified gasp before covering his face in shame. "…Am I that obvious?" Jounouchi and Honda nodded simultaneously.
"Sadly yeah." said Honda. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole school knows about it."
Yuugi felt faint, "You lie!"
Jounochi smirked. "And don't think we don't know that you're thinking of giving your second button to her at the graduation ceremony!" He winked, knowingly.
Yuugi sighed feeling embarrassed and defeated, but mostly embarrassed. "Aw, crap. Please don't tell me that Anzu knows too!"
Jounouchi shook his head. "Not possible! That's the thing about girls. You have to tell them yourself how you feel. Otherwise they're just completely clueless!"
"Who's clueless?" asked an ominous voice behind Jounouchi.
Jounouchi jumped and tried pathetically to hide behind Yuugi. "GAH! Who are you?"
The person laughed, a female voice being heard, "Gee, have I really changed that much in a few months guys?" She stepped out of the shadows. "It's only been four months, and you have seen me in classes."
The boys jumped for joy. "Anzu!"
Anzu laughed again and winked, "That's my name, don't wear it out!"
Yuugi suddenly blushed furiously. "H-How long have you been standing there?"
Anzu smiled, "Only for a few seconds. I only heard Jounouchi saying that girls are completely clueless. To what, I don't know, but that's all I heard."
Yuugi sighed, relieved. "Oh, I see. All right then."
Anzu couldn't hide her smile. She knew what he was referring to, but wanted to let him relax. She knew how he felt about her, but she didn't feel the same way. In fact, since Yami, or rather-Atem, left for the afterlife, where he was supposed to be, she hadn't really taken an interest in anyone. This was good thing though. Her involvement in KCSP took up all of her time she didn't have time to even consider pursuing a relationship with anyone. She sighed mentally but smiled to her friends. "So, what are you guys up to? Not causing any trouble I hope!"
Yuugi shook his head. "Not at all! We were just talking about you."
"Oh, really? Good things I hope." She narrowed her eyes at Jounouchi playfully.
Jounouchi raise his hands defensively, "Hey, easy tiger. We were just saying that it's been a long time since we've seen you." Jounouchi took his seat and pulled it out for Anzu to sit down. "Why not join us? It's been awhile since we all hung out together." Three pairs of hopeful eyes invited her to take the seat.
Anzu's smile grew wider as her heart sank to the pit of her stomach, "Thanks you guys," she cried sincerely, "But, I can't… I really have to get home now. I just saw you guys on my way home and decided to stop by to say hi, but if I don't get home soon I'll be late and I'll never hear the end of it!" She took a step back from the chair as she watched their hopeful expressions slowly die.
"Well, okay Anzu." replied Honda.
"It's just that… we miss you, ya know?" continued Jounouchi.
"We... only have a few months left together before our lives take on their own courses and…" Yuugi could feel his face heating up as he struggled to keep eye contact with his crush, "well, we want to cherish it as much as we can together."
Anzu brightened her features. "Oh! You guys just care for me so much!" She grabbed them all into a tight embrace. "I love you guys, really! You're my friends and you know how much you mean to me!" She revelled in the group hug she spontaneously initiated before letting the three suffocating boys go. "If I had the time, you know I'd be with you always!" Tears began to weld up on the brims of her eyes as she spoke sincerely. "No matter what though, you guys are never far from my heart. Whenever things get extremely busy and overwhelming, I think of you three and the adventures we shared together." She raised her right hand and placed in the middle of the table. "I always remember, so you're never far from my heart." She made eye contact with each of them, "Ever." The heartfelt smiles from each of them and the joining of their hands with hers touched on their deep bonds as friends who've suffered and survived through many journeys together and have withstood time and conflict.
And just when the moment was about to get as sappy as it could possibly get, a shrill beep went off, causing Anzu to look down at her watch. "Oh no, I'm late!" She yanked her hand away from the center of the table. "I'll see you guys around!" With that, she dashed off and disappeared into the crowd.
Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Honda looked after in melancholy silence, before sighing disappointedly.
"She really doesn't have any time for us anymore does she?" asked Honda, soberly.
"That's what it seems like Honda," responded Jounouchi.
"Come on, guys. She just said that even when things get overwhelming for her she thinks about us and our time spent together. So even when she's not spending time with us, she does think about us, and that has to count for something right?" Yuugi said, trying once again, to lighten the mood, despite his own downcast feelings.
Jounouchi sighed, "I guess so Yuugi…. Still, what could possibly be keeping her so busy? Does she have an after school job that's she's keeping on the downlow again?"
Honda continued, "Or better yet, will that happen to us once we're all busy with our own lives after graduation? Will we be nothing but memories to each other afterwards, as well?"
Yuugi felt the heavy atmosphere compressing against his lungs. Talk about dramatic. Just before he could say something, Jounouchi popped up out of his chair, a ferocious tenacity in his eyes. "Well I say no! I won't allow myself to become a memory! Even if it costs me my life, I refuse to become just someone's memory!"
Honda and Yuugi were baffled by the confusing sentence. "Jounouchi, if you lost your life while trying to keep yourself from becoming a memory then you would only be a memory in the end…."
Taking a moment to reconsider his statement, Jounouchi continued, "T-then I'll just have to make sure that I don't lose my life in the process!" Jounouchi laughed awkwardly as Yuugi and Honda face-palmed. "But nevermind that! We can't allow ourselves to become Anzu's distant memories! And so..."
Yuugi felt the dread creeping up from his toes and rising up through his body to his nose. He did not want to know where Jounouchi's mind was attempting to go, and yet, "Oh no…."
"We're tailing Anzu!"
Yuugi sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. Honda a little help here?"
Unfortunately for Yuugi, Honda was on the same page as Jounouchi. "I'm sorry Yuug, but I'm with Jounouchi on this. I don't want to become a distant memory to her either! We've all been through so much together, the last thing we should all be to each other is a memory. You don't want to be just a memory to her. Right, Yuugi?"
Yuugi stuttered. "Well, no, of course not..." He could feel the heat rising to his face again. "Still, Anzu knows what she's doing. She told us what she does to keep us close to her heart. Shouldn't that be enough?" He asked out loud to his friends, but inside he could feel his own heart shouting out at him, Are you crazy?!
Jounouchi argued in return. "No Yuug. I'm sorry, but being a memory is not good enough for me. It means I'm stuck in their past and have no chance of being in their future, and that's not something I want. There's no way I'd be okay with that! What about you Yuugi?"
Honda nodded in agreement. "Jounouchi's right, Yuugi! I'm not going to allow myself to stay stuck in Anzu's memories! I'm with you bud!"
Jounouchi and Honda high-fived each other, "All right!" They looked at Yuugi. "Well, Yug, you're either with us or against us. But I should warn you NOT to tell Anzu about this! Otherwise, you're going to regret it!" Both of them glared threateningly at their short friend.
Yuugi gulped. Even though they were best friends now, Honda and Jounouchi weren't afraid to beat him up if they didn't want him revealing secrets. Honestly, sometimes I think that with friends like these two, who needs enemies? Yuugi sighed dejectedly. "I-I guess I'm in guys."
Jounouchi rejoiced. "All right! Now we're all a part of the 'A.P.F.B.'!"
Honda and Yuugi stared at him. "The what?"
"The 'Anzu's Permanent Friend Brigade', of course! What did you think I meant?" He asked with a lifted eyebrow, as if the abbreviation was common knowledge.
Yuugi shook his head. "Absolutely nothing Jounouchi... You don't have to give everything a title."
"I know that! It's just more fun if I do." He grinned broadly.
Honda shrugged. "Right, well, as the newly self-appointed leader of the … 'A.P.F.B.'... I say we start tailing Anzu on Monday."
Jounouchi nodded in agreement. "Right! Wait a minute. Why are you the leader? I'm the one that came up with the idea!"
"Right, but if you were the leader you would have wanted to tail Anzu now. Am I right?"
"Of course!" He exclaimed hotly. Why else would he have made such a declaration?
"Well then that would have been a problem, considering the fact that she is probably home by now since she left about fifteen minutes ago." Honda smirked. Jounouchi may be his best friend, but he wasn't always the brightest bulb in the bunch.
Jounouchi paused. "What?" He looked around. "Oh right. I forgot. Heh, heh."
Honda rolled his eyes. Point made. "So let's start Monday after school. Right?"
Jounouchi nodded while Yuugi reluctantly agreed. With that decided and agreed upon, the trio leave the cafe and head towards the arcade. "So… did you guys hear about the serial killer that was mentioned on the news?" Their voices faded off into the distance, discussing their impending graduation and the recent appearance of the serial killer with a preference for high school girls.
Little did they know that a shadow with brown hair and azure eyes were listening to every word they were saying. "Oh my. Well, this could certainly get interesting…."